It was truly a nightmare scenario.
An Illinois man allegedly shot himself in the leg while dreaming that a burglar was breaking into his home — and now he faces criminal charges for the bizarre incident, officials said.
Mark M. Dicara, 62, was found by deputies at his Lake Barrington home just before 10 p.m. on April 10 with a gunshot wound to the leg, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
Investigators were told that Dicara was having a dream that someone was breaking into his home, located about an hour northwest of Chicago.
While in a stupor from the nighttime terror, Dicara “retrieved his .357 Magnum Revolver and shot at who he believed was the intruder.”
“When he fired, he shot himself and apparently woke up from the dream,” the sheriff’s office said.
Dicara was bleeding so heavily from his wound that first responders had to use a tourniquet to stop the blood flow, the sheriff’s office said.
Fortunately, the round discharged from the firearm went through his leg and went into the bed — injuring no one aside from Dicara.
He was taken to an area hospital for treatment of his gunshot wound.
According to officials, no burglary had taken place at Dicara’s residence at the time of the shooting.
Dicara was charged with possessing a firearm with a revoked Firearm Owners Identification card, which is required in Illinois, as well as reckless discharge of a firearm, the sheriff’s office said.
Gun owners must have a FOID card in the state of Illinois in order to legally possess firearms or ammunition.
It’s unclear why Dicara’s FOID had been revoked.
Dicara was arrested on a warrant on Monday. He was released on bail after posting a $150,000 bond.
He is due in court on June 29.
